61-year-old man jailed for insulting his Abusuapanyin

A 61-year-old convict has shared a story of why he was jailed after a misunderstanding between his family head and himself.

The old man who was serving a 16-month jail term for offensive conduct and causing harm said his only crime was insulting the head of his family usually called ‘Abusuapanyin’ in Twi.

According to Kwaku Amofa who is a pastor, a rift had generated between himself and the family head after he found out that some documents given to him after paying for a purchased land were faked.

He explained that on the back of the rift between him and the family head, he was arrested for making some offensive comments against the family head.

“I bought a plot of land sometime back for some GHC1,000 and I later realised the documents covering the land were fake. That caused a rift between me and my Abusuapanyin (family head),” he told CrimeCheck TV.

“I am a pastor and I usually go to a football field to pray. On my way out of the house one morning, I realised the main gate had been locked up so I blurted out asking who did such nonsense and that was my crime,” he added.

Kwaku Amofa further noted, “So what happened after was that, I was sleeping in my chair one afternoon and I heard my name being called outside. I came out to see three officers waiting; Amankwa, Super and another person whose name I have forgotten. They immediately instructed me to follow them to a police station. I sat in a car with them and I thought I was going to explain my side of the story. But while we were in the car Super warned me that they will press false charges against me.

“They bundled me into the police cells as soon as we arrived at the station. I was kept there for three weeks,” the 61-year-old narrated.

Mr Amofa stated that a judge pronounced judgement on him without listening to his plea for mercy after he admitted to insulting his family head.

“When I was sent to court the judge said I had insulted my family head and that I also made noise so I should go to jail for 16 months.

“I admit I insulted him but I know I didn’t deserve such a harsh punishment. I told him (the family head) that what he had done was nonsense. I also asked who made such a stupid person like him a family head,”

According to the pastor, prior to making the insulting statement against his family head, he had attended a party and taken alcohol.

“In fact, that day, there was a little party around and I took a bit of alcohol. I was not drunk though,” he said.